Catalunya: identitat i constitució

Focusing on catalan identity and from different points of view, this article analyses the concept of collective identity and its relation with modem constitutionalism. The first thing it does is taking into consideration the definition of "identity", its polysemous and its semantic indeterminacy (Derrida) and how it is resolved paying attention to juridical, political and metajuridical situations. The second thing is to analyse the elements that build up national identities. Although it does not present a detailed study about the different theories of identity (objectives and subjectives) it presents elements that can be useful to understand what is and what configures catalan identity. The third problem it analyses are the relation between identity and constitution. It does so distinguishing between constitutional and preconstitutional identities by analysing the role played by the fundamental law in both cases, and the role constitutionalism has nowadays in creating, consolidating and destroying sub-statal identities. It end with a conclusion about the future of Catalan collective identity in an increasingly globalized and multicultural world.